HopeFul Reflections

It’s time to add some structure to this blog, so let’s embark on a journey into why you, the reader, should explore your faith, and more specifically, the Christian faith. I will initiate this journey as if I were a non-believer and attempt to navigate through faith and present my own arguments for faith. Additionally, I will include other arguments I have encountered from others that have helped strengthen my faith. I pray that I can explain these ideas concisely, convincingly, and, at the very least, somewhat interestingly.

So, why believe? Why should one trust in an entire religion with a complicated history, including corruption, misuse of its name to justify human rights crimes, and internal dissent? Well, why worry about this question at all? Why contemplate such topics? Does it genuinely matter to one’s life? I say, absolutely. You make decisions every day to live long, healthy lives—why not strive to live well in the afterlife, if there is one? I’d argue that it is an urgent issue for you to find out if there is an afterlife, and if you love even one person in this world, tell them about it as well. Now, you will have to trust me on this until I can illustrate it later in the series, but what if you could actually improve your earthly life by becoming a believer? I genuinely believe this, but it will be challenging to see until later in the series.

Furthermore, even when my faith was much weaker, I still highly valued the community I could find everywhere simply by being a believer, even a weak one. Wherever I moved, I could find a youth group and make new friends if I just found a church, and there is no shortage of churches, at least here in the U.S.

Another reason to objectively study the Christian faith is its immense influence on global topics such as literature, art, and other media. Additionally, you can gain wisdom for yourself that was obtained by centuries upon centuries of men and women who dedicated their lives to spiritual growth and wellness. You might argue that self-help gurus today just want to make money and make you need them, but when you study the older teachings of Christians who genuinely wanted to live well, you see a human struggle with the same issues you face. You see yourself in them and how you could be better.

Lastly, my faith gives me purpose. It reveals to me that God made me intentionally. I was not some cosmic accident, and neither were you. You matter, you are important, and you are necessary. You matter simply because you are here, even if other people make you feel the opposite. God made you with purpose. I say find out why and see what kind of being our Father is.

In summary of the reasons to follow this journey, let’s explore:

1. If there is or is not an afterlife
2. Improvement of the earthly life
3. Community
4. Millennia of studies performed by people dedicated to spiritual wellness
5. A basis for purpose

I hope to see you all in the coming days, and I pray that I can answer questions and connect with you all through my writing.

-JKG